This past Sunday, two of my housemates talked me into going hiking with them. I am not the most avid hiker. I do not like the numerous almost falls that I usually experience while hiking, or climbing on things that I am pretty sure I cannot get off of, or generally walking up steep mountain sides. None of these perilous ventures are what I would consider a leisurely way to spend my day off. Besides, I had just spent the previous day hiking, so I had solid plans to not go hiking this particular Sunday. I do, however, enjoy nature. If ever I have found myself doubting the Creator, Creation is the only argument needed to put those doubts to rest. I also enjoy spending time with my community members, and I have a hard time saying no. Why say no when you can say yes. Right?
So at the last minute I decided to go. My housemate promised it was a short hike to a beautiful place. This is not the first time this housemate has downplayed the difficulty of a hike. But anyway, I found myself walking straight up a steep mountain side and climbing over rocks that I doubted if I could climb back down. My word of the year is positivity. I failed at that on this day of hiking. The whole way up I was complaining and doubting my abilities. The thing is, my housemates know how I am about these things. My other housemate (not the one that likes to convince me into accompanying her on ridiculous hikes, but the one that just enjoys such hikes with whoever chooses to come) kept saying that we had to find a way to the top of the cliff. She also kept saying, “Anna, you are going up there!” Usually that does not work with me, but that day, I decided to make the best of it. I climbed up rocks without knowing how I was going to get down. Once we got to the top we took some beautiful pictures and I was already making plans to come back during the summer when there would be more colors.
I am very thankful to both my housemates. I gave my housemate way too much grief, but if it was not for her I would not have been there at all. My housemates cheered me along the way even though I was negative and doubtful. Without my community I never would have found myself sitting on that cliff or any cliff like it.
"What do you mean, 'If I can?'" Jesus asked. 'Anything is possible if a person believes.'" Mark 9:23 (NLT)
Anna is an AmeriCorps Educator/Summer Camp Counselor at CAP’s Camp Andrew Jackson and is a member of the Jackson Volunteer Community. She graduated from Bellarmine University in 2013. Opinions expressed in volunteer blogs are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of CAP or the Volunteer Program.
